As summer melts into fall, Pudong’s Cape Nanhui continues to prove to be one of the best birding locations in China. In the period 26 Aug. to 8 Sept. 2017, Craig Brelsford birded four days at the most southeasterly point of Shanghai, as well as at other key locations in Earth’s Greatest City. 106 species were noted.

Highlights were Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher at Microforest 1, beautiful white-morph Amur Paradise Flycatcher at Binhai Forest Park, Fairy Pitta in the Cape Nanhui microforests, Greater Painted-snipe holding on in a canal near the coast, Asian Dowitcher at South Pond, Chinese Egret at North Pond and on South Beach, and Pacific Golden Plover at the sod farm south of Pudong Airport. Sakhalin Leaf Warbler and Pale-legged Leaf Warbler were calling in the Magic Parking Lot, and endangered Far Eastern Curlew and Great Knot were recorded at Nanhui. Crested Goshawk appeared in inner-city Zhongshan Park.

10-14 August 2017

Craig Brelsford birded 10-14 Aug. 2017 with visiting U.S. birder Bob Orenstein. They noted 107 species at coastal sites in Shanghai and southeastern Jiangsu. At Pudong’s Cape Nanhui on 13 Aug., Bob and Craig had a rare Shanghai record of Greater Painted-snipe and an early record of Mandarin Duck. On 12 Aug. at Dongling (32.224520, 121.534355), Bob and Craig had critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper and 2605 endangered Great Knot. The duo saw 4 Nordmann’s Greenshank at Dongling and had 30 members of that endangered species 11 Aug. at the coastal birding area at Dongtai. Bob and Craig noted Himalayan Swiftlet at Dongling as well as on 10 Aug. at Cape Nanhui, where they also had Amur Paradise Flycatcher.

5 August 2017

Visiting birder Ian Reid and Craig Brelsford had 3 juvenile Asian Dowitcher, the most notable among an all-star team of shorebirds that included 8 Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, 12 Broad-billed Sandpiper, and 3 Curlew Sandpiper still mainly in brick-red breeding plumage. A Red-necked Phalarope was making use of fallow rice paddies, and 6 Grey-tailed Tattler were on the mudflats near Donghai Bridge. The duo had unusual Nanhui records of Pied Kingfisher and Ruddy Shelduck.

The microforests were quiet, but a very early record of Eastern Crowned Warbler and Yellow-rumped Flycatcher offered a preview of the passerine party coming in September. There were four species of bittern: Eurasian Bittern, Yellow Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern, and Black Bittern.

(Japanese) Yellow Bunting in Microforest 2, Nanhui, 26 April 2017. Emberiza sulphurata breeds in Japan, winters in The Philippines, and passes through Shanghai in small numbers each spring. Listed as Vulnerable by IUCN. (Kai Pflug)

Hooded Crane Grus monacha among Eurasian Spoonbill at defunct wetland reserve, Nanhui, 9 Dec. 2016. Shanghai birders at Cape Nanhui have been recording this individual regularly since the historic first Cape Nanhui record on 12 Nov. 2016. The crane has been seen in rice paddies on either side of the road at 30.939376, 121.956494. The record on 9 Dec. was the first in the defunct reserve (30.920507, 121.973159). (Kai Pflug)

Hooded Crane at Nanhui (KP).

7 December 2016

Two of the 3 Siberian Crane on Hengsha Island, 7 Dec. 2016. Since 12 Nov. 2016 the cranes have been noted regularly at the spot 31.321708, 122.018141. It is not known exactly what drew the cranes to Hengsha. Disturbances at Lake Poyang, the wintering location of nearly every member of the species, may be a factor. Grus leucogeranus is Critically Endangered. Only about 3750 individuals remain. (Craig Brelsford)

Hooded Crane flying above fields at Nanhui on 12 Nov. 2016. Before the sighting by Elaine Du, Michael Grunwell, and Craig Brelsford, Grus monacha had never been recorded on the Shanghai Peninsula. Each year, about 100 Hooded Crane overwinter on eastern Chongming Island, 60 km north of Nanhui at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Photo by Craig Brelsford.

We found this endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting in a strange location, on a mud bank with shorebirds such as Little Ringed Plover. Changes to wintering sites, loss of reed-bed habitat for roosting sites, and especially trapping for meat have caused the population of this once-abundant species to go into free-fall. Photo by Craig Brelsford using iPhone 6 and Swarovski ATX-95.

This photo, taken in Nanhui on 9 Sept. 2016 by Shanghai birder kaca, shows the Black-tailed Godwit that was first found 27 Aug. 2016 and that was banded this year on the Kamchatka Peninsula, 4000 km from Nanhui.

Black-tailed Godwit banded in Kamchatka and first found 27 Aug. 2016 found again by Chinese bird photographer kaca at virtually the same location (Nanhui). Also Nordmann’s Greenshank found by kaca.

This Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher was noted in Nanhui 30 May-1 June 2016. Photo by Kai Pflug.

Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher at Nanhui (KP).

30 May 2016

White-morph Amur Paradise Flycatcher, Nanhui, 30 May 2016. In Shanghai, Japanese Paradise Flycatcher is more common than Amur. Of the two species, only Amur has the white morph. For more on the differences between Japanese and Amur, see the post published 10 Oct. 2016: “ID Workshop: Paradise Flycatchers.” Photo by Kai Pflug.

Horned Grebe, 1 of 3 seen on Dishui Lake, Nanhui, 5 Feb. 2016. Small numbers of this species have been noted on Dishui Lake since December 2015. Also known as Slavonian Grebe, Podiceps auritus is a rare winter visitor to the Shanghai region. Photo by Kai Pflug.

Common Starling is well-known to birders in Europe and North America, and it is common in parts of western China, but in eastern China it is supposedly only a vagrant. It is often seen associating with White-cheeked Starling. Craig Brelsford.

Japanese Grosbeak Eophona personata is larger than Chinese Grosbeak E. migratoria, has simpler wing coloration (all-black primaries with large white patch in middle) and a less extensive black cap, and lacks black tip to bill. Craig Brelsford.